1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a superconducting material, to a superconducting body, and to a method of making such a superconducting material or body.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Superconducting materials are now well know, and many different superconducting materials have been disclosed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,432 disclosed superconductive materials based on the elements Bi, Sr, Cu, O. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,432, the materials proposed had the composition Bi.sub.a Sr.sub.b Cu.sub.c O.sub.d, where a+b+c=1, a=0.36-0.557, b=0.098-0.496, c=0.1-0.4 and d=approx. 1+a/2 Furthermore, JP-A-2-289424 disclosed superconductive materials based on the elements Tl, Sr, Ca, Cu, O, and Tl Ba/Sr, Ca, Cu, O. Again, specific ranges were given for the amounts of those elements present in the material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,554 disclosed superconductive compounds based on Tl/Pb, Sr, Ca, Cu, O. The disclosure proposed the material Tl.sub.e Pb.sub.a Ca.sub.b Sr.sub.c Cu.sub.d O.sub.x with a=1/10-3/2, b=1-4, c=1-3, d=1-5, e=3/10-1 and x=(a+b+c+d+e+y), with y=1/2-3.
An article entitled "A New Process with the Promise of High Jc on Oxide Superconductors" by M Murakami et al in Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol 28, No. 7, pp 1189 to 1194 (1989) also disclosed superconductive materials based on Y, Ba, Cu, O together with non-superconductive material based on x, Y, Ba, Cu, O.